Clay Guida's unusual post-fight request

Clay Guida, 39, has been fighting professionally for almost 18 years, 15 of them in the UFC. He holds wins over Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Joe Lauzon, BJ Penn, and after Saturday’s UFC Vegas 18, Michael Johnson. That win broke a two-fight losing streak, and was his first victory since decisioning Penn on May 11, 2019.

At the post-fight press conference, Guida had an unusual but rational request. His last three opponents have a combined 123 fights, and for his next fight, “The Carpenter” isn’t looking for a Red Panty Night vs. the biggest name available, but rather someone with less experience, on the way up.

We fought the who’s who, the No. 1 guys, the top five guys, the top 10 guys. We’ve fought all the veterans,” said Guida. “Maybe someone who doesn’t have 20 UFC fights. I think my last three or four opponents, probably have a combined 100 wins or something. Maybe just someone that’s not as well known.

But everyone knows, we don’t turn down fights. We never have. We’ve always been that guy that steps up to the plate and we fight guys that are more skilled than us. We surprise a lot of people. We’re going to be dangerous for a long time.

It felt good to get back on the horse and get back in the win column. We haven’t had our hand raised since 2019, man. It gets kind of old after a while. We did a few things right, but there’s always room for improvement. I’m never satisfied with my victory. I’m never satisfied with my performance. I owe it all to my team, my cornermen, my coaches.

I’m a slow learner. I’m a late-bloomer. There’s still a lot to learn in this fight game, in this martial arts game. I’m studying and I’m as amped and motivated as ever. I’m hungry to compete and stay busy. I learn from these young guys.